New Beginnings
by Crystabel.Shalott
Summary: Annie finds out she is pregnant


**Disclaimer:** I don't own 'The Hunger Games', they belong to Suzanne Collins.

New Beginnings:

When Annie regains senses she is in a hospital bed.

The last thing she remembers is the Star Squad returning and Johanna giving her the news that Finnick died in the mission. She remebers her reaction: the hysterical attack, the tears and the bewilderment. She crumbled, broke in a million of pieces inside. It seemed only yesterday that she and Finnick married, and now he was gone forever. It was hard to imagine a world without him, it was just... they spent five beautiful years together and now he was gone. Forever. He wouldn't have come back to her like he usually did, he wouldn't just have walked into the door saying 'did you miss me?' with a huge smile on his face waiting for her to run to him, and then catch her in his arms and spin her around the room.

No, her Finnick died beheaded by mutts.

Isn't fate ironic? That her husband died in the same way as her district partner so many years ago?

Annie wipes away her tears with the corner of the blanket.

She doesn't want to break down again.

She promised Finnick that she would stay strong whatever happened. And a promise is a promise, especially when it's a pinky one. She had her breakdown but now it was time to begin to move forwards, think about the future even if she was close to tears and without hope. Finnick wouldn't have wanted her to bent in grief, he wanted her to go on with her life, remember the past, but also live a bright future. It seemed impossible now that the tears would disappear and the pain in her heart would reduce itself to a dull ache, but it would have happened. Because she had the strength to do so, she always had: all this years she kept her head above water, survived day by day.

And in the last five years the brave Annie Cresta, the girl who volunteered for the games because she wanted to help, came back.

She could do it: move on to a new future, accept Finnick's death. But right now the pain she felt in her chest was atrocious and tears were ready to come down again.

"Mrs. Odair, how do you feel now?" says Mrs. Everdeen while making some medical checks on Annie.

"Sad, exhausted. I miss him already but at the same time I feel like I am strong enough to face this situation"

"That's brave"

"I'm not brave, I just... I don't know. I miss him, I wasn't ready to lose him" she sobs.

Mrs. Everdeen takes her hand "I know how you feel, I found myself in the same place once, and I wasn't brave. You are Annie, trust me"

Annie nods in agreement.

"So we made a few tests when you were recovered yesterday after your breakdown. Everything is fine, and we have some news for you"

"News, what news?" Annie begins to stir. Has something else happened? Something terrible?

"Annie, the test showed us that you are pregnant"

"Pregnant" Annie's voice is bewildered. She lets the word roll of her tongue, like she was trying to understand what it meant. Like she had to taste the word before making any statement about it.

She isn't surprised that it happened, she spent a lot of time in bed with Finnick. It's just the timing that seems strange: she just lost Finnick and now she becomes a mother.

A mother, she will have a family. Like she and Finnick always wanted, but he won't be there with her.

If she felt strong a moment ago now she is on the edge of tears again.

"Annie?"

"And it's sure that I will have a baby?"

"Yes, you are in the first month. Why did you not come her when you showed symptoms"

"Because I never thought of pregnancy. I related them to anxiety"

The morning sickness, the swings of mood and the weariness she all lived it before: when Finnick was in the Capitol for long periods of time and she was home worrying for him. So she didn't pay much attention to it but now that she was thinking about it, it seemed stupid that she didn't notice.

She should have noticed.

"Annie?"

"Sorry. It comes as a shock"

Mrs. Everdeen's face is worried, she fears that Annie won't react at the news with happiness, that it will be the thing that will push her into the abyss. She was already worried that since yesterday Annie didn't give any signs of an imminent crisis after she learnt of Finnick's death. yes she had a breakdown and a hysterical attack but now she was quite. Too quiet, with tears in the corner of her eyes.

Annie begins to cry "I'm just. I can't believe it. I don't know how to feel about it, I am torn between sadness and joy. Is it normal?"

"Yes, it is. You had a shock yesterday, now you had another. It can be overwhelming"

Annie stays silent a moment longer, she thinks about the tangled situation and she realizes something. Being pregnant isn't a bad news: she has to be happy about it. It's true: Finnick wasn't there anymore but a part of him was. And

"This baby, I won't be alone when I go home. My family died years ago but I still have a family" she pauses a moment "This baby is a new beginning, and that's what we all need: new beginnings"

Said this Annie cries both for pain and for happiness.


End file.
